The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
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Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
Best Western Signs With Doji Land Real Estate Investment Company for the Best Western Premier Sapphire Ha Long in Vietnam
October 22, 2018
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (October 22, 2018) – Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced today the signing of an impressive new upscale hotel overlooking Ha Long Bay, the iconic UNESCO World Heritage site in Vietnam. Developed by Doji Land Real Estate Investment Company Limited, the Best Western Premier Sapphire Ha Long is a spectacular new 31-story project that is currently rising in the heart of Ha Long City's hotel district. It will feature more than 1,000 spacious guestrooms, outstanding business and leisure facilities and panoramic views of the bay. The hotel is scheduled to open its doors in the fourth quarter of 2020. "Best We...
Embassy Suites by Hilton Secaucus Meadowlands Appoints Rebecca Kirisits as General Manager
Embassy Suites by Hilton | October 22, 2018
SECAUCUS, NJ - Embassy Suites by Hilton Secaucus Meadowlands, managed by Hilton Management Services, today appointed Rebecca Kirisits as the hotel's new General Manager. Embassy Suites by Hilton is a global brand of upscale, all-suite hotels from Hilton (NYSE: HLT). In her new role, Kirisits will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the 261-suite hotel including guest services, hotel administration and marketing efforts. A 25-year hospitality veteran, Kirisits began her career in hospitality as a Front Desk Manager at Hotel Edison. She later held positions such as Executive Housekeeper at Waldorf Astoria New York, ...
Queensgate Investments Completes 2nd U.S. Transaction, Adding Courtyard by Marriott Washington D.C. Washington D.C. to Generator Portfolio
Queensgate Investments | October 22, 2018
LONDON, October 22, 2018 -- Queensgate Investments ("QI") has made its second acquisition in the United States, acquiring the Courtyard by Marriott Washington D.C. for USD 54.1M as a bolt-on to its Generator platform. The well invested 148 key freehold asset, acquired from affiliates of Quadrangle Development Corporation and Capstone Development, is located in busy Dupont Circle and benefits from superior amenities such an outdoor pool and roof terrace. The asset will continue to be run under a Marriott franchise with incumbent manager Crestline during 2018 and 2019, prior to conversion to the Generator brand. Generator is one...
Aspire Named Finalist in 15th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business
Aspire | October 22, 2018
Aspire honored internationally for innovation 13 consecutive years PHOENIX – Passionate, inspirational, collaborative. That's what drives Aspire's innovative approach to workplace leadership development — and it's what has led the boutique Phoenix agency to a 13th consecutive nomination as Most Innovative Company of the Year in the 15th annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business. The Stevie® Awards for Women in Business honor worldwide women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run. Aspire's visionary leader Renie Cavallari is in line for a Gold, Silver, or Bronze award during the gala event ...
West Belmont Place Creates Three Holiday Party Themes
West Belmont Place Event Center at The National Conference Center | October 22, 2018
Holiday Party Ideas and Incentives Designed for Giving this Holiday Season LEESBURG, VA, October 2018 … West Belmont Place Event Center at The National Conference Center created three corporate and family holiday party ideas to help planners, companies and associations (big and small) give back to the community and help those less fortunate during the season. In a year with so much attention on individuals' rights, The National shows what corporate social responsibility events can do for a team. The passion for giving back exists in every one; it just needs an opportunity to shine. A great holiday party contains three important c...
From Gridiron to Coffee Grinder, Aggie Defensive Back / NFL Pick Floyd Raven Brings “Last Shot Xpresso Coffee” to Doug Pitcock ’49 Texas A&M Hot
October 22, 2018
Entrepreneur Embodies Aggie Values of Excellence, Service, Integrity College Station, Texas, October 2018 … From the legendary playing fields of Aggieland to the NFL and back again, defensive back, former Texas A&M student, NFL player and coffee magnate Floyd Raven has come full circle. At age 25, the young entrepreneur has kicked off the latest outpost of his coffee company, Last Shot Xpresso at the new Doug Pitcock '49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center (www.TexasAMHotelCC.com), that opened recently on the Texas A&M campus. The 250-guest room structure, adjacent to legendary Kyle Field, is now the university's gu...
HVS Market Pulse: Sacramento, CA
John Berean | October 22, 2018
By John Berean, Li Chen The Sacramento metropolitan area includes seven counties in California: Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Yuba, and Nevada. The area is home to a wide variety of higher-education institutions, including two major public universities, many private and community colleges, and vocational schools. Healthcare is also an important component of the economy, with organizations including Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, Vision Service Plan, Catholic Healthcare West, and the Sacramento VA Medical Center. In addition, the UC Davis Medical Center, a world-renowned research hospital, is in Sacramento. Sacramento i...
The Stereotyping of Millennials Has Gone Too Far
Doug Kennedy | October 22, 2018
By Doug Kennedy Seems like just about every conference I speak at lately has another speaker addressing some topic related to "those Millennials." Likewise, seems like at least once a week every lodging publication I read has an article about the challenges of marketing to or the managing of Millennials. I certainly understand that this is an entertaining subject and there is value in personifying the demographics of various age groups for analytical purposes. Yet lately it seems to me that this is being taken too far. Hotel brands are being launched, training programs are being altered, HR recruitment methods are being changed, all to ...
U.S. Lodging Performance Fell Short of Budget in 2017
Robert Mandelbaum | October 22, 2018
by: Robert Mandelbaum In 2017, the actual achieved levels of occupancy, average daily rate (ADR), total revenue and profits for U.S. hotels were less than their respective budgeted amounts. After a five-year period (2011 through 2015) of extremely accurate budget projections, this marks the second consecutive year that owners and operators failed to meet their operating goals. As general managers, controllers, and directors of sales begin the process of preparing their budgets and marketing plans for 2019, we present the results of our most recent look at the budgeting accuracy of U.S. hotel operators. From CBRE Hotel's Americas Researc...
Meyer Jabara Hotels Retains Management of Marriott Stamford Hotel Under New Ownership
Meyer Jabara Hotels | October 22, 2018
Providing unparalleled service for more than 20 years, MJH will continue to be part of the Stamford community operating this prominent, full-service downtown hotel and spa [Danbury, Conn., October 22, 2018] — Meyer Jabara Hotels (MJH) will remain property manager of the Marriott Stamford hotel downtown following its recent sale by HD Realty Associates LLC to a prominent, multi-strategy Manhattan investment group. MJH has successfully served as the property manager for more than 20 years. "Meyer Jabara Hotels is pleased to retain the management contract for this landmark hotel with its established business base in the city of Stamf...
Ojai Valley Inn Implements Knowcross to Achieve Operational Excellence
Knowcross | October 22, 2018
California's most revered destination, since 1923, becomes the latest to join Knowcross' roster in the US Washington D.C., October 22nd 2018 - KNOWCROSS, the preferred service quality management platform of the finest hotels across the globe, is the preferred choice of the Ojai Valley Inn to help them automate their work-flow management and housekeeping departments, in an effort to maximize efficiencies and deliver enhanced guest experiences. The Ojai Valley Inn has tapped into the cutting-edge technology and innovation of the Knowcross platform, which enables them to provide a top-notch and highly personalized service for their estee...
New Hampshire’s Tuscan Village development proposal passes $1 billion mark with addition of second hotel
October 22, 2018
Oct. 22--Tuscan Village proposal passes $1 billion mark with addition of second hotel By MICHAEL COUSINEAU New Hampshire Union Leader October 21. 2018 9:32PM Developer Joe Faro points to a new Ford dealership in April at Tuscan Village, part of more than $1 billion in commercial and residential projects planned for the former site of Rockingham Park in Salem. (DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER FILE) Tuscan Village in Salem has added a second hotel to its plans as it pushes past a $1 billion pricetag for the sprawling mixed-use development, according to its developer. "We've been moving at a pretty rapid pace," Tuscan Brands CEO Joe ...
San Diego rescinds tough Airbnb regulations, reopening debate on how to rein in short-term rentals
October 22, 2018
Oct. 22--Faced with a referendum seeking to repeal San Diego's new restrictions on short-term rentals, the City Council did just that on Monday, but left open the question of how it will regulate home sharing in the future. The council Monday afternoon had only two choices before it -- repeal the regulations it initially approved in July and reaffirmed in August or put the question before the electorate in a future election. The effect of the council action is to once again leave San Diego in limbo on the long debated question of who can rent out homes for periods of less than 30 days, an increasingly common practice popularized by ...
Last year’s Tubbs fire took away their jobs – this year, former Hilton colleagues reunite after Santa Rosa wildfire
October 21, 2018
Oct. 21--Last year's Tubbs fire not only took away their hospitality jobs. It also broke up a collection of workers who soon missed each other's company. So former staff members of the burned Hilton hotel in Santa Rosa on Saturday held their first reunion since the fire. The gathering at Finley Park in west Santa Rosa included hugs and smiles and stories about new jobs elsewhere. "I just really wanted to get together and see how everybody fared a year later," said Barbara Winters, who helped organize the reunion. Winters got a new job one day after the fire waiting tables at a Petaluma hotel. Even so, she said she miss...
Wellness a key driver of UAE’s growing tourism industry
October 20, 2018
Oct. 20--Boasting an array of world-class spas, wellness centres, and health facilities, the UAE -- particularly Dubai -- has become a unique travel destination for today's health-conscious traveller. Traditional practices that place greater emphasis on preventive healthcare, such as ayurveda, homeopathy, and yoga, have significantly contributed to the robust growth of this sector, catering to loyal clients who visit every year on average. The Medical Tourism Index 2016 ranked Dubai number one in the Arab world and 16th globally, further boosting the emirate's aspirations to attract half a million tourists a year by 2020. The in...
Missoula’s Riverfront Triangle, Hotel Fox conference center project still moving forward
October 20, 2018
Oct. 20--One of the most ambitious development projects in Missoula history is moving forward slowly but surely. The developers with the Riverfront Triangle/Hotel Fox project gave an update to the Missoula Redevelopment Agency's board and staff on Thursday to discuss their timeline, finances and confidence level. The plan calls for a 10-story hotel that would include three floors of condominiums, a 60,000-square-foot conference center designed to attract regional groups, new restaurants, office space, a new park, housing, new parking structures and redesigned traffic infrastructure. It would all be located in the seven-acre, triangl...
Hotel room nights down for two years in Owensboro, KY – CVB determined to reverse the trend
October 20, 2018
Oct. 20--The number of hotel room nights booked in Owensboro for conventions and special events has dropped in each of the past two years. And since the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau depends on the 3 percent tax on the rental of hotel rooms for funding, President Mark Calitri is determined to reverse the trend. Information that he presented to his board this week shows that 7,406 room nights were booked in 2015-16. That dropped to 6,999 in 2016-17. And it dropped again to 4,380 in the year that ended on June 30. The fiscal year that began July 1 is expected to draw 7,310 room nights -- getting back almost to ...
A dramatic increase in hotel space in Portland, Maine creates demand for a convention center
October 20, 2018
Oct. 20--Portland is once again looking into whether it should build a convention center. The idea has come and gone like the tide over the last two decades, but has never overcome financing and siting hurdles. Portland City Manager Jon Jennings says that,without a convention center, "We're turning away an incredible amount of business that could come to our city." 2015 Press Herald file photo On Tuesday, the city staff asked the City Council's Economic Development Committee to seek a request for proposals to study whether building a convention center is feasible in Maine's largest city. The three-member panel told...
Hotel Distribution: Stop Predicting, Start Diagnosing
Dori Stein | October 19, 2018
By Dori Stein, CEO at Fornova There is a fine line that separates guesswork and prediction - the quality of data and analysis. The hospitality sector is not unique in exploring for ways to take advantage of the opportunities in data-driven approaches to boost revenue and profit. Many revenue managers are already doing exactly this with revenue management systems and pricing - predicting demand, competition and optimal pricing. Modern hotel distribution, on the other hand, is a different playing field. And the advantage is going to hotels and chains adopting an agile execution and diagnosis-led data, compared to the traditional planning ...
Hospitality Leadership Solutions Series: Embrace Charisma, Not Stoicism
James Houran | October 19, 2018
By: James Houran, Ph.D., Dallas | Keith Kefgen, New York Noted hospitality thought leaders and corporate governance/ performance management experts Kefgen and "Dr. Jim" share common management challenges while providing time-tested, field-tested or just simple "quick-fix" ideas to keep professionals inspired, effective and successful. Some of the most memorable and effective mid-managers and senior executives utilize leadership charisma to bolster their personal brands, build alliances, gain buy-in from team members and maximize their influence internally and externally to their organizations. But some of the most charismatic leaders h...
Disney to Build Nature-Inspired Mixed-Use Resort on Bay Lake
Walt Disney World Resort | October 19, 2018
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Oct. 19, 2018 -- A new nature-inspired, mixed-use Disney resort will welcome families in 2022 along the picturesque shoreline of Bay Lake. Located between Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, this resort project joins three others underway at Walt Disney World Resort, bringing a total of more than 1,700 new hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas online over the next four years. The deluxe resort, which will be themed to complement its natural surroundings, will include more than 900 hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas spread across ...
Emlyn Brown Appointed Vice President, Wellbeing for AccorHotels’ Luxury Brands
AccorHotels | October 19, 2018
AccorHotels is pleased to announce the appointment of Emlyn Brown as Vice President, Wellbeing for AccorHotels' Luxury & Upper Upscale brands. Emlyn joins AccorHotels from Resense Spas S.A, where he most recently held the position of Global Design Director and was responsible for managing corporate strategies, wellbeing concepts and related design services. "We are delighted to have Emlyn join our team; his experience, skill set and leadership traits position him well for future success within the Group," said Rick Harvey Lam, Senior Vice-President, AccorHotels Luxury Brands, Global Brand Marketing. "Emlyn will direct our global str...
Forthcoming Hilton Washington DC National Mall Names New Leadership
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | October 19, 2018
Washington, DC (October 19, 2018)—Hilton Washington DC National Mall (480 L'Enfant Plaza SW; 202-484-1000) is thrilled to announce the appointments of two seasoned hospitality professionals to lead its executive team. The 367-room hotel represents the brand's latest expansion in metropolitan Washington. In modernizing the iconic address, Hilton creates 23,000 sq. ft. of fresh meeting and event space, exquisite dining, and incomparable views from atop L'Enfant Plaza, centrally located just steps from the National Mall and the city's bustling waterfront. Its executive team brings decades of expertise, presenting guests with experien...
A New Trend Taking Off: “Unairports”
Kevin Gallagher | October 19, 2018
By David Wilkening Missed your plane? Cancelled flight? Airport hotels used to be where you might stay overnight for a short walk to get another plane the next day. No more. These days if you happen to be in Los Angeles, you might appreciate a good morning greeting by "Sir Hyatt." He's the Hyatt Regency's registered therapy dog for anxiety. He is said to make "travel-related stress melt away." That may not always be the case for anxious flyers but there's no question airport hotels are getting luxury features that attract not only passengers who missed flights but also have growing interest for investors. "This trend is emerging now. Wi...
